Cheek-operated safety for guns



June 13, 1967 H. J. BRYAN 3,324,587

CHEEK-OPBRATED SAFETY FOR GUNS Filed Dec. 13, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR HARVARD J. BRYAN ATTORNEY June 13, 1967- H. J. BRYAN 3,324,587

CREEK-OPERATED SAFETY FOR GUNS Filed Dec. 13, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. I2

' INVENTOR HARVARD J. BRYAN WWW JQLM ATTORNEY 3,324,587 CHEER-OPERATED SAFETY FOR GUNS Harvard J. Bryan, 9303 Sorrento, Dallas, Tex. 75228 Filed Dec. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 513,507 Claims. (Cl. 42-70) This invention relates to gun safeties, and more specifically to automatic safeties. It is an improvement on copending United States patent application Ser. No. 373,388, filed June 8, 1964, now US. Patent No. 3,222,809.

Various types of gun safeties have been proposed and used. The most general type used involves mechanism internal of the gun. Such safeties require independent movement of the shooter, not normally accomplished incidental to the firing of the gun. Though they may be adequate to prevent the gun from firing when they are in the on position, there is a constant danger in the shooter forgetting to push the safety to on position after shooting or after failing to get an expected shot.

In the said application Ser. No. 373,388, the present inventor disclosed and claimed an invention pertaining to automatic safeties of the type which require the shooter to hold the gun in normal shooting position with his head in sighting position so as to press his cheek against an automatic safety release plate in order to fire the gun. Such a safety required that the shooter be looking down the barrel in the direction of fire before the gun could be discharged.

A significant improvement to the prior invention has now been found. The prior invention required that the various support means by which it was mounted to the gun be carefully implaced in precise locations to insure alignment. Screws were used to connect various of the support means and safety means to the gun.

The said prior invention disclosed a variety of external safety means, both alone and in combination with auxiliary safety means, but it did not disclose an external safety means which directly actuated the existing safety provided as original equipment on the gun by the manufacturer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide safety means which have the advantages of the prior invention, but which in addition do not require precise positioning to insure alignment. A further object is to provide an automatic safety having all the advantages of the said prior invention, and in addition possessing the advantage that it may be quickly installed on the gun without the use of any screws or other fastening items which in any way enter or mar the surface of the gun.

Still a further object is to provide an automatic safety means which is connected to the existing safety on a standard gun in such a way that the existing safety is automatically shifted from the normally on safe position to the armed position by the shooter engaging the stock with his cheek.

In accordance with the present invention, automatic safeties are provided for various conventional guns which include external safety means attachable to a standard gun in a simple yet efiicient manner. The safety means include a flexible shaft of the type that carries torsion. Such shaft may be bent considerably out of a straight line position without militating against its operation.

The flexible, torsion-carrying shaft is provided in combination with a check contact plate which is adjacent the cheek area of the stock. In addition, an externally pivotally mounted retainer finger is attached to an end portion of the shaft. The other end portion of the shaft attaches to the cheek contact plate. Normally, the external pivotal finger rides inwardly to block actuation of the firing means of the gun, but it is pivotal outwardly into an nit States Patent 0 32,324,58 Patented June 13, 1967 armed position where actuation of the gun is permitted. Means are provided to bias the cheek plate into a normal safe position. The biasing means are yieldable to permit inward movement of the plate into a depressed position on engagement of the shooters check with the plate. When the plate moves into such depressed position, the finger is moved outwardly to permit firing of the gun. On release of pressure applied to the cheek plate by the shooters cheek, the biasing means again return the plate to its normal position. In turn, the finger is again moved to the safe position where it blocks actuation of the gun.

In addition, an embodiment of the present invention includes finger means which engage the conventional safety means provided on a gun. Movement of a cheek plate of the type referred to above to its depressed position by contacting the plate with the cheek of the shooter causes the finger means to move the conventional safety means to an armed position. On release of cheek pressure to the cheek plate, the cheek plate moves to its original position and carries with it, by means of a connecting shaft, the finger means which in turn move the conventional safety back into the safe position. A tension spring attached to the finger and to the trigger guard also urges the conventional safety means into safe position upon removing the gun from firing position.

For a more complete understanding of the present invention and for further objects and advantages thereof, reference may now be had to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partial view, as seen from the side of a gun having a preferred embodiment of this invention installed thereon,

FIGURE 2 is a view of the same structure of FIGURE 1, but as seen from the opposite side of the gun,

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along 3-3 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 4 is an exploded view, illustrating in greater detail, in perspective, the front support means utilized in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 5 is a partial perspective view, with spring 71 omitted for clarity, directing attention to the structure of detail of the cheek plate assembly employed in the safety of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 6 is a side view illustrating a gun having the same type cheek plate a FIGURE 1, but having a curved safety finger to restrain the hammer mechanism on a gun,

FIGURE 7 is a partial view, in perspective, illustrating that portion of the gun of FIGURE 6 in the region of the hammer mechanism,

FIGURE 8 is a partial view, as seen from the side, of a gun having an alternative preferred embodiment mounted thereon,

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken along 9-9 of FIGURE 8,

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view taken along Ill-10 of FIGURE 8,

FIGURE 11 is a partial view, as seen from the side of a gun having a modified type of safety finger, designed to engage and manipulate a conventional gun safety,

FIGURE 12 is a section taken along 1212 of FIG- URE l1, and

FIGURE 13 is a section taken along 1313 of FIG- URE 11 Turning now to FIGURE 1, therein conventional gun 21 is illustrated together with an automatic safety in accordance with the present invention. Gun 21 has a barrel on its forward cut-away portion (not illustrated) and a stock 23 on its rearward portion. Stock 23 is preferably wooden or plastic. It is conventional with a cheek side 25, an opposite side 27 (best illustrated in FIGURE 2) and has a conventional butt portion 29.

A cheek plate 31 is provided on the cheekside of the stock 23. Cheek plate 31 extends generally upward from the central portion of the cheek side 25. It may be disposed in a variety of positions; however, it is located sufficiently rearward of pistol grip portion 33 and forward of butt 29 so that it may be engaged by a portion of the head, including the cheek, of a shooter when gun 21 is raised to shooting position with its butt against the shoulder of the shooter and with the shooters head inclined in the shooting position.

It is understood in this specification that the area of the stock lying adjacent where cheek plate 31 is mounted is limited only in location by such a position that a portion of the head of the shooter will contact a part of the cheek plate when the gun is in shooting position. That area on the stock is often referred to hereinafter, including the claims, as the check portion of the stock. In some guns, it will be found that the cheek portion is raised or other special provisions are made to comfortably accommodate the head portion of the shooter which engages it. In other guns, however, the cheek portion has no special provisions; it is merely a central portion of the cheek side of the stock.

Cheek plate 31 is pivotally supported by cheek plate mounting bracket 35 which may be made of metal, plastic or other suitable material. A portion of mounting bracket 35 lies against the cheek side 25 of the stock. A curved arm member 37 extends over the top of the stock from the cheek side 25 to the opposite side 27 and is formed to lie substantially against the said opposite side (FIG- URE 2). A flexible strap supports the mounting bracket 35 in position. This strap includes a strap portion 39 which is connected to the mounting bracket 35 through vertical slot 41 in the bracket and the strap portion 43 which is connected to the mounting bracket through the horizontal slot 45 in said bracket. The ends of the strap portions 39 and 43, which lie adjacent the slots 41 and 45, are sewed or otherwise joined to the under side of the strap portions to retain the strap portions in slots 41 and 45.

The strap portion 39 passes around the butt 29 and terminates in an end protected with conventional belt tip or tab 47. The strap portion 43 passes under the lower portion of the stock and terminates in a conventional buckle means 49 of the type which, when closed, has a plurality of teeth engaging the strap passing through it. The strap portion 43 engages arm 37 of mounting bracket 35 by passing over the lower regions of the arm and then turning back at about a right angle to run under the arm. This engagement of the belt portion 43 with arm 37 occurs at a lowermost elbow region of arm 37 which is defined by two downwardly diagonally extending portions of the arm. Accordingly, the belt portion 43 has little tendency to move out of good engagement with arm 37. The end part of belt portion 39 on the opposite side 27 of the stock passes through buckle 49 and is engaged by such buckle to hold the belt tight. Consequently, the mounting bracket 35 is held securely in position.

Mounting bracket 35 is equipped with hinge parts 51 and 53. These hinge parts are of tubular configuration. Hinge parts and 57 are disposed on the opposite lower ends of the cheek plate 31. These hinge parts have been formed by bending curved tab regions on plate 31 into a generally tubular configuration. The hinge parts 51 and 53 have the axes of their tubular regions in alignment, as do hinge parts 55 and 57. The rearmost end of hinge part 55 lies adjacent the front region of hinge part 51, and the frontmost portion of hinge part 57 lies adjacent the rearmost portion of hinge part 53. Flexible shaft 61 passes through the hinge parts 55, 51, 53, and 57, running through such parts in that order as shaft 61 extends toward the rear portion of the gun. Screws 63 and 65, respectively, pass through front side (outer side as viewed in FIGURE 1) of cheek plate 31 and engage the inwardly turned tab on either end of the cheek plate which defined hinge parts 55 and 57. These screws are secured tightly to the tabs to cause these hinge parts to firmly grip the flexible shaft 61. Such engagement should be suflicient so that no relative movement or pivot is permitted between hinge parts 55 and 57 and shaft 61. Accordingly, a rotation or pivot of plate 31 should be accompanied by a like pivot imparted to shaft 61..

The clearance provided by the tubular hinge parts 51 and 53- on mounting bracket 35 is such that flexible shaft 61 is permitted to turn easily in the hinge parts. Accordingly, the plate 31 is pivotally mounted with respect to cheek plate mounting bracket 35.

shaft 61. Spring 71 has a leg 73 lying in engagement with the surface of the check of the stock underlying the face plate, and it has a shorter end 75 engagement with the underside of cheek plate 31. It will thus be appreciated that when an inwardly directed force causes plate 31 to pivot inwardly, carrying flexible shaft 61 in rotation with it, spring 71 is deformed to set up a restoration force urging the plate outwardly to its normal safe position.

The forward end of flexible shaft 61 extends through annular sleeve 81, which has its end turned outwardly to define an enlarged shoulder or flange 83. Sleeve 81 is slotted, as at 85, FIGURE 4, in order that it may be forced together to tightly engage a portion of the safety finger 111 in a manner that will later be discussed.

Sleeve 81 is rotatably carried by forward shaft support bracket 87. This support bracket has a pair of spaced apart, upwardly extending cars 89 and 91. Aligned openings are formed in these ears and the sleeve 81 rotatably rides within these openings, with the flange 83 being in rotatably slidable engagement with respect to the forward outer surface portions of ear 89 in order to prevent the sleeve 81 from being pulled through the openings in cars 8? and 91.

Shaft support bracket 87 has a lower portion 93 which is adapted to engage the lower part of trigger guard 95 of gun 21. The bracket rides in front of trigger 97. The lower bracket portion 93 has a downwardly curved end 99, and spaced apart from such end 99 is a downwardly extending projection or ridge 101. The spacing between turned end 99 and projection 101 is such that these respective parts lie on either side of the lower portion of the trigger guard.

The bracket 87 has a central portion 103 which extends upwardly and then turns substantially horizontally at the point where the ears 89 and 91 rise upwardly from the bracket. A resilient end portion 105 of bracket 87 runs transversely to the axis of the gun and passes through the trigger housing to terminate with a curved extremity lying against the side of the gun opposite ears 89 and 91. Bracket 87, accordingly, is held in position by the tight engagement between the curved extremity of end part 105 and the gun and the engagement of turned end 99 and projection 101 with the lower portion of trigger guard 95.

Curved safety finger 111, when in its normal safe position, lies with its free end behind trigger 97 and in front of the rear of trigger guard 95. Finger 111 is operatively attached to flexible shaft 61 by means of the engagement of collar 113 of finger 111 with the sleeve 81 on shaft 61. Screws 115 pass from the outer side of the finger and into the opposite turned end of finger 111. They are tightened sufliciently to bring collar 113 into secure engagement with sleeve 81 through which flexible shaft 61 passes. This engagement must be suflicient so that no appreciable relative rotation occurs between finger 111, sleeve 81, and shaft 61.

Spacing washers 117 are disposed between the rear surface of ear 91 of bracket 87 and the forward extremity of the collar 113 of finger 111. While two such washers are illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 4, it will be appreciated that the number actually used will vary with different installations.

In operation, the safety of FIGURES 1-5 moves from its normal safe position to an armed position when a shooter raises the gun to shooting position and moves portions of his head which normally lie adjacent the cheek portions of the stock into engagement with cheek plate 31. The application of a relatively light pressure by the head of the shooter overcomes the resisting force offered by leaf spring 71 and the plate 31 revolves inwardly, thus rotating flexible shaft 61 with it. Flexible shaft 61, on its rotation, carries safety finger 111 with it and retracts its lower curved portions from behind trigger 57 to permit the trigger to be pulled and the firing mechanism actuated. After the pressure is removed from cheek plate 31 by the shooter, the leaf spring 71 causes the cheek plate 31 to rotate outwardly. Flexible shaft '61 is carried with it in rotation, and finger 111 is accordingly rotated to the normal safe position behind trigger 97, thus guarding against accidental firing.

The preferred embodiment discussed above may be modified to provide an automatic safety for a gun having a hammer mechanism. For example, the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7 shows a hammer type gun indicated generally at 21. The cheek side 25' of the stock has mounted thereon an identical type of cheek plate assembly as was illustrated and explained in connection with the embodiment of FIGURE 1. Moreover, a flexible shaft 61' is connected to the cheek plate and rotatably mounted with respect to a forward support assembly 87 in exactly the same manner as for the embodiment previously discussed. The hammer, restraining safety finger 151, is attached to the vertical extending central portion 103 of mounting assembly 87' by a suitable screw, such as screw 153. Its free, upwardly-extending portion passes over the top edge of the gun with its forward edge riding against guide pin 155. A cam 157 is operatively mounted on flexible shaft 61' just under safety finger 151 and positioned with respect thereto so when flexible shaft 61 is rotated on inward movement of the cheek plate, the cam 157 will be carried with the flexible shaft to push the safety finger 151 outwardly. Note that in the safe position, the finger is disposed with its free edge against guide pin 155 and its rear edge against and restraining the movement of hammer 159. In operation, when the cheek plate of the embodiment of FIGURES 67 is displaced by application of pressure from the shooters cheek, the torsioncarrying flexible shaft 61 rotates the cam 157 to move the safety finger 151 upwardly and outwardly, clearing it from the path of the hammer 153. On pulling of the trigger, the hammer 159 may strike the firing pin 161 to fire the gun. Since the safety finger is of a springy metal, the deformation caused by the operation of cam 157 sets up a restoring force. Thus, when the hammer is again returned to the firing position, finger 151 will return to its fall-back into normal position with its rear edge against the forward portion of the hammer to restrain forward movement of the hammer until the safety is actuated again by rotating the cheek plate.

Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIGURES 810. Therein the same basic components are utilized as in the embodiment of FIGURES 1-5, except that the cheek plate and cheek plate assembly are somewhat modified as is the forward mounting bracket. As in the prior embodiments, a flexible shaft capable of carrying torque is again employed. In the case of those parts that are the same as was employed an the embodiment of FIGURES 15, the same numerals, but followed by a lower case a, will be used for identification.

The rotatable cheek plate 201 is pivotally carried by the rearward mounting bracket 203. Rearward mounting bracket 203 is connected by screws 205 into the cheek side of 25a of the stock of gun 21a.

The mounting bracket 203 is generally U-shaped with its upwardly extending spaced-apart legs being each turned to define tubular hinge portions 207 and 209, respectively. The flexible shaft 61a passes through hinge portions 207 6 and 209 which provide suflicient clearance for rotational movement with respect to mounting plate 201. A slotted gripping tab 211 has its tubular collar portion in tight engagement with flexible shaft 61a, as does a like tab 213.

The tab 211 is disposed adjacent the forward edge of mounting bracket 203 and the tab 213 is disposed adjacent the rear portion of mounting bracket 203. Screws 215 and 217, respectively, pass through appropriate apertures in the cheek plate 201 and thence through the slots in tabs 211 and 213. Nuts support the screws in holding position to mount the cheek plate 201 with respect to the tabs 211 and 213. By virtue of the slots provided in the tabs, it will be appreciated that the cheek plate 201 may be moved upwardly or downwardly, as desired, to accommodate particular mounting and the specific cheek plate positioning desired by the shooter.

Wire torsion spring 221 is disposed with its upper central portion in engagement with the underside of the cheek plate 201 and with its two legs, 223 and 225, respectively, in engagement with the cheek side of the stock underlying the face plate 201. The flexible shaft 61a passes through the coils 227 of spring 221.

The forward end of the flexible shaft 61a is rotatably supported by a mounting bracket 231, which is carried on the cheek side of the gun above the trigger guard a. The bracket 231 is attached by suitable means; for example, by screws 233. A pair of spaced apart ears 235 and 237 extend outwardly from bracket 231. Aligned openings are formed in these cars. A sleeve 81a passes through these openings and is rotatably carried by the ears 235 and 237. The sleeve 81a is retained in position by enlarged end or flange 83a. As was the case in prior embodiments, the sleeve is in tight engagement with flexible shaft 61a so that no relative rotation or movement is permitted between the two.

Safety finger 111a is operatively fixed on flexible shaft 61a to extend behind trigger 97a when the cheek plate is in its normal safe position, but where it will be retated outwardly clear of trigger 97a to permit it to be pulled to discharge the gun when the cheek plate 201 is rotated inwardly by pressure from the check of the shooter. Discussion of the operation of the embodiment of FIGURES 8-10 is believed unnecessary, since principles of operation are the same as those described with respect to the embodiment of FIGURES 15, previously discussed.

Yet another embodiment is illustrated in FIGURE 11. Again, like numerals will be used for parts previously used, but each such numeral will be followed by the lower case letter b.

The cheek portion of the safety means of the present invention is omitted in the showing of the embodiment of FIGURES 11-13 for simplicity. Either of the cheek plate assemblies previously discussed herein may be used, as may be an equivalent structure.

The torsion-carrying flexible shaft 61b has its forward end rotatably mounted by the mounting brackets 2312;. The safety finger 301 is operatively mounted to flexible shaft 61b by the screws 303. The finger, unlike the prior fingers discussed herein, does not curve substantially inwardly toward the trigger. Instead it extends substantially straight downwardly, curving somewhat forwardly to more or less correspond to the curvature of the rear part of trigger guard 95b. The lower portion of the safety finger is interconnected by means of a tension type coil spring 307 to a clip 305 which engages the lower rear portion of trigger guard 95b. Note that the spring extends transversely outwardly with respect to the trigger guard and, accordingly, normally biases the free end of the safety finger 301 inwardly toward the trigger guard.

The safety finger 301 has a rearwardly turned portion defining trigger finger flange 309. A flap connecting piece 311 has one end riveted to the flange 309. The other end of connecting piece 311 is riveted to the flattened head portion 313 of an elongated bolt 315. Opposed legs 317 and 319 are carried on the bolt 315. These legs are shaped so that their end portions are adapted to receive the tubular opposite ends of existing safety 321, which is of the conventional type and was original equipment provided by the manufacturer of the gun. The nut 323 is taken up tightly to hold the oppositely facing legs 317 and 31% in engagement with the opposite ends of safety 321, so that axial movement of the bolt will result in the existing safety being moved in the same sense.

Operation of the embodiment of FIGURES 11-13 can best be appreciated by reference to FIGURE 13. The solid lines in FIGURE 13 indicate the parts when in safe position, while the dotted lines indicate the parts when the gun is in the armed position. Note that rotation of the flexible shaft 61b by means of the cheek plate causes the finger 301 to move outwardly, against the resisting force applied by spring 307. When the finger 301 moves outwardly, the connecting piece 311 and bolt 315 are drawn outwardly. This, in turn, results in the outward movement of legs 317 and 319. Accordingly, the existing manual safety 321 is moved to the armed position. On release of the pressure applied to the cheek plate by the shooter, the restoration force within the tension spring 307 assures that the safety finger and its associated parts, particularly legs 317 and 319, move in the opposite sense to that just described to return them to their normal safe position. With such return, it will be noted that the manual safety 321 is moved back into safe position.

Having described the invention in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that further modifications may now suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a gun having a barrel, an elongate stock connected therewith including a butt for engagement with the shoulder of a shooter and a cheek contact area on said stock, and firing means for firing said gun, a safety comprising:

(a) a cheek contact plate adjacent the cheek area of said stock, said check plate being movably mounted with respect to said stock so that said plate may move inwardly from a normal position to a depressed position,

(b) an external pivotally mounted retainer finger riding inwardly to block actuation of said firing means when in a normal safe position, but pivotal outwardly into an armed position to clear actuation of said firing means,

(c) a flexible, torsion-carrying shaft running external of said gun operatively connecting said plate with said retainer finger to cause said finger to pivot from the safe to the armed position When said plate is moved inward, but permitting the movement of said finger into the safe position when said plate is in the safe position, and

(d) means biasing said plate into the normal position, but yieldingly permitting inward movement of said plate into the depressed armed position and biasing said retainer finger into the safe position to hold it in said safe position when said plate is in the safe position, but yieldingly permitting the outward pivot of said finger into the armed position on movement of said plate into the depressed armed position, whereby the application of pressure to said cheek plate to move it to the depressed position moves said retainer finger to prevent it from blocking actuation of said firing means and on the release of such pressure from the cheek plate the retainer finger returns to a safe position blocking actuation of said firing means.

2. The combination of claim 1 further including a cheek contact plate mounting bracket and strap means for adjustably positioning and supporting said bracket to said stock, said cheek plate being pivotally mounted to said mounting bracket, and means associated with said cheek contact plate tightly connecting an end portion of said flexible shaft therewith.

3. The combination of claim 1 in which said gun has a trigger guard and said safety further comprises bracket means having a resilient part, said bracket means engaging said trigger guard and portions of said gun above said trigger guard to hold said bracket means in position without the use of screws, said bracket means including .support means rotatably supporting an end portion of said flexible shaft.

4. The combination of claim 3 further including a check contact plate mounting bracket and strap means for adjustably supporting and positioning said cheek contact plate mounting bracket to said stock, said cheek contact plate being pivotally mounted to said mounting bracket, and means associated with said cheek contact plate firmly connecting it to the end portion of said flexible shaft opposite said end supported by said bracket means engaging said trigger guard.

5. The combination of claim 4 in which said firing means includes a trigger and said finger extends downwardly and engages rear portions of said trigger to prevent firing when in the normal position, but pivots clear of said trigger when in the armed position.

6. The combination of claim 4 in which said firing means includes a hammer, and said finger extends upwardly to ride in front of said hammer and prevent firing when in the normal position, but pivots clear of said hammer when in the armed position.

7. The combination of claim 4 in which said firing means includes a conventional safety, and said finger further comprising means which engage said safety when in the normal position to hold said safety in the normal position, but which move said coven-tional safety to the armed position on depression of said cheek contact plate.

8. The combination of claim 4 further comprising a pair of tabs including adjustable attachment means engaging an end of said fiexible shaft, said tabs being connected to said cheek contact plate so that said plate may be adjusted by said adjustable attachment means.

9. In combination with a gun having a barrel, an elongate stock connected therewith including a butt for engagement with the shoulder of a shooter and a check contact area on said stock, and firing means for firing said gun, said firing means including a trigger and conventional safety means for prevention of actuation of said firing means, when said conventional safety means are disposed in the safe position, a safety mechanism comprising:

(a) a cheek contact plate adjacent the cheek area of said stock, said check plate being movably mounted with respect to said stock so that said plate may move inwardly from a normal position to a depressed position,

(b) external pivotally mounted finger means riding inwardly to hold said conventional safety means in the safe position when in a normal position, but pivotal outwardly into an armed position to clear actuation of said firing means.

(c) a shaft running external of said gun operatively connecting said .plate with said finger means to cause said finger means to pivot from the normal to the armed position when said plate is moved inward, but permitting the movement of said finger means into the normal position when said plate is in the normal position, and

(d) means biasing said plate into the normal position, but yieldingly permitting inward movement of said plate into the depressed position and biasing said finger means into the normal position when said plate is in the normal position but yieldingly permitting the outward pivot of said finger means into the armed position on movement of said plate into the depressed position, whereby the application of pressure 10 finger and a pair of spaced apart clamps extending from said finger, one clamp engaging the end of said conventional safety and the other clamp engaging the other end, and further comprising a spring normally biasing said finger means into the normal position.

No references cited.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A GUN HAVING A BARREL, AN ELONGATE STOCK CONNECTED THEREWITH INCLUDING A BUTT FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SHOULDER OF A SHOOTER AND A CHEEK CONTACT AREA ON SAID STOCK, AND FIRING MEANS FOR FIRING SAID GUN, A SAFETY COMPRISING: (A) A CHEEK CONTACT PLATE ADJACENT THE CHEEK AREA OF SAID STOCK, SAID CHEEK PLATE BEING MOVABLY MOUNTED WITH RESPECT TO SAID STOCK SO THAT SAID PLATE MAY MOVE INWARDLY FROM A NORMAL POSITION TO A DEPRESSED POSITION, (B) AN EXTERNAL PIVOTALLY MOUNTED RETAINER FINGER RIDING INWARDLY TO BLOCK ACTUATION OF SAID FIRING MEANS WHEN IN A NORMAL SAFE POSITION, BUT PIVOT OUTWARDLY INTO AN ARMED POSITION TO CLEAR ACTUATION OF SAID FIRING MEANS, (C) A FLEXIBLE, TORSION-CARRYING SHAFT RUNNING EXTERNAL OF SAID GUN OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID PLATE WITH SAID RETAINER FINGER TO CAUSE SAID FINGER TO PIVOT FROM THE SAFE TO THE ARMED POSITION WHEN SAID PLATE IS MOVED INWARD, BUT PERMITTING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID FINGER INTO THE SAFE POSITION WHEN SAID PLATE IS IN THE SAFE POSITION, AND (D) MEANS BIASING SAID PLATE INTO THE NORMAL POSITION, BUT YIELDINGLY PERMITTING INWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID PLATE INTO THE DEPRESSED ARMED POSITION AND BIASING SAID RETAINER FINGER INTO THE SAFE POSITION TO HOLD IT IN SAID SAFE POSITION WHEN SAID PLATE IS IN THE SAFE POSITION, BUT YIELDINGLY PERMITTING THE OUTWARD PIVOT OF SAID FINGER INTO THE ARMED POSITION ON MOVEMENT OF SAID PLATE INTO THE DEPRESSED ARMED POSITION, WHEREBY THE APPLICATION OF PRESSURE TO SAID CHEEK PLATE TO MOVE IT TO THE DEPRESSED POSITION MOVES SAID RETAINER FINGER TO PREVENT IT FROM BLOCKING ACTUATION OF SAID FIRING MEANS AND ON THE RELEASE OF SUCH PRESSURE FROM THE CHEEK PLATE THE RETAINER FINGER RETURNS TO A SAFE POSITION BLOCKING ACTUATION OF SAID FIRING MEANS. 